Germain Racing has lacked primary sponsorship before, but rather than running blank cars or trucks it would use Germain Motor Company or Germain Toyota decals. Doing that makes a team appear to be in not as much of a bind financially. But going into the Camping World Truck Series opener at Daytona, Germain was desperate. This was no time for cosmetic solutions — it was a time to scream “help wanted.” Hence the completely blank #30 Toyota for Todd Bodine — nothing on the hood or the truck bed, and nothing on Bodine’s firesuit. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t contend again this year, except that as of Tuesday, the team couldn’t absolutely say it is racing past this weekend at California. Winning at Daytona didn’t solve its financial problem, the same problem many teams across motorsports are still facing, even with seasons under way. Germain isn’t throwing in the towel on the entire season, however. Not with Bodine’s prowess on the big tracks and one of the toughest trucks in the sport. The Tundra that won last week has been Bodine’s ride throughout the superspeedway winning streak and even survived a midair somersault with driver Chad Chaffin in 2005 at Daytona.(ESPN.com)(2-19-2009)
UPDATE: During an interview on ESPN’s NASCAR Now program, Todd Bodine said that GEICO would be sponsoring the #30 truck at California — a one race deal.(2-19-2009)
UPDATE 2: GEICO, who is kicking off a four-year relationship with world-class driver Max Papis in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, is prepping their guy by providing him the opportunity to hop in the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra this weekend in Fontana, CA, for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. A week from now in Las Vegas, Papis and the Germain Racing team will be attempting to qualify for the first of twenty Sprint Cup Series races slated for the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry this season. . On Tuesday, luck came calling and GEICO provided funding to help give Bodine and his Germain Racing team the opportunity to participate in Saturday’s San Bernardino County 200.(GEICO Racing/Player Mgmt. PR)(2-20-2009)
